There can be benefits to a co-location of faith and non-faith schools.

That was the finding of one report, Education department member Lawrie Hooper said.

Mr Hooper told the House of Keys than an Education Scotland investigation into proposed location of a faith school with a non-faith school could apply to the current situation.

’They mentioned that the proposal had a number of positive educational benefits for children, including learning in modern facilities and the potential to add to children’s curriculum experience through more flexible opportunities to work alongside their peers,’ he said.

Mr Cregeen agreed.

’It is about putting children into a better learning environment,’ he said. ’It is quite clear that, over the years, nothing has been done to address the issue of St Thomas’s School.

’We are now addressing that issue to put these children in a better learning environment, and surely that should be applauded rather than being criticised,’ he said.

He said to do nothing would be equivalent to allowing ’children to stay in a location which is virtually in the middle of a car park, which has got no green areas’.

The current St Thomas’s building had not been fit for purpose for many years, he said.